Contextual window-based interface and method therefor

Abstract

A contextual windows-based interface and a computer-implemented method for use with the contextual windows-based interface are provided. The interface consists of several generally adjacently disposed contextual windows wherein each contextual window generally leads to an application and/or data or can contain further levels of related contextual windows, each of them leading to other applications and/or data. The method associated with the interface allows for the contextual windows to interact with each other in order to provide additional functionalities. Hence, the method provides for the selection of contextual windows and for the creation of interactional data based on the combination of the data related to the selected contextual windows. The interactional data can be used to update the content of one or more contextual windows and/or can be transmitted to a remote server, via a communication network, for further processing.

1 . A method executed on an electronic device comprising a display unit, a processing unit under the control of a program and a memory unit, said method comprising:
 a. partitioning said display unit into an array of contextual windows, each of said contextual windows having related data stored on said memory unit;   b. selecting a first of said contextual windows and a second of said contextual windows;   c. retrieving, from said memory unit, first data related to said first contextual window and second data related to said second contextual window;   d. processing, with said processing unit, said first data and said second data to generate interactional data;   e. storing said interactional data on said database.   
   
   
       2 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising the step of updating data related to at least one of said contextual windows using at least a portion of said interactional data. 
   
   
       3 . A method as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising the step of updating said at least one of said contextual windows using said updated data. 
   
   
       4 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said interactional data comprise transactional data. 
   
   
       5 . A method as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising the step of transmitting said transactional data to a remote server system via a communication network. 
   
   
       6 . A method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said selection is made by dragging and dropping said first contextual window over said second contextual window. 
   
   
       7 . An electronic device comprising:
 a. a processing unit;   b. a memory unit in electronic communication with said processing unit;   c. a display unit in electronic communication with said processing unit and adapted to be partitioned into an array of contextual windows, each of said contextual windows having related data stored on said memory unit;   d. an inputting unit in electronic communication with said processing unit and adapted to receive command inputs for at least the selection of a first said contextual window and a second said contextual window;   e. a networking unit electronic communication with said processing unit and adapted to access a communication network;   
     wherein said processing unit is adapted to retrieve, from said memory unit, first data related to said first contextual window and second data related to said second contextual window in order to process said first data and said second data to generate interactional data. 
   
   
       8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said interactional data comprise transactional data. 
   
   
       9 . A method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said networking unit is further adapted to transmit said transactional data to a remote server system via said communication network. 
   
   
       10 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said input commands comprise commands to drag and drop said first contextual window over said second contextual window. 
   
   
       11 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said inputting unit is a set of directional buttons. 
   
   
       12 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said inputting unit is touch screen. 
   
   
       13 . An electronic device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said inputting unit is a pointer.